Wednesday, 10 March 2010

The Great Game

The 'Great Game' (covering the period between 1813-1907) was the historic rivalry between Russia and Britain over influence in Central Asia, including Persia and Afghanistan.

For a while there were less aggressive policies by the Imperial Powers, however following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 a second phase of rivalry between the Soviet and British influence ensued in Afghanistan.

Fast forward to the present. Today Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the US of playing a "double game" in Afghanistan.He said the US had "created terrorists and now say they are fighting them", as he appeared with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.

Hamid Karzai, on the surface remain US-friendly. Defence Secretary Robert Gates, also in Kabul today, has too accused Iran of a "double game" by stating that they were giving the Taliban low-level support.